Page 48 of Cassidy

“I found it!” Gabe’s voice rose with excitement. “It pinged off this cell tower here.” He tapped the screen. “It’s not perfect, the phone could be anywhere within a five-mile radius, but it’s a place to start.”

Munching the candy, she nodded in agreement. “Let’s take a drive. Maybe we can narrow down a few likely places where Travis and others could be hiding out.” She glanced at the time. “I don’t want to drag Rhy, Joe, or the others out in the middle of the night without something more to go on.”

“Agree.” Gabe jumped to his feet and grabbed the closest laptop. He opened the computer and quickly logged into the same program that was still displayed on his screen. When he had it, he turned to her. “I’ll bring this with me. If the phone dings off another tower, we’ll know they’re on the move.”

“Sounds good.” She finished the candy bar and tossed the wrapper into the garbage. “I want to grab some gear from the equipment room first, though.”

He didn’t complain, although she could sense his impatience. Not that he wanted to bypass safety procedures, but the ping of the disposable cell phone was the only tangible lead they had to Travis.

One he was desperate not to lose.

The vests she grabbed weren’t specifically fitted for her or Gabe but would do in a pinch. She hoped they wouldn’t need them. She carried them to the rental and threw them into the back.

Traffic was quiet this time of the night, so it didn’t take long to reach the cell tower.

“Wait a minute, is that the Wildflower Motel?” Cassidy asked.

“Yes.” Gabe divided his attention between the laptop and their surroundings. “The cell tower is fairly close to the location where we found Travis’s phone.”

And the spot where Gabe had been assaulted. She exited the interstate and turned left to head south. “I find it hard to believe they’d have grabbed rooms at the Wildflower Motel, but stranger things have happened.”

“I don’t think that’s the spot either,” Gabe said. He frowned as she drove past the area that crime scene techs had combed through earlier in the day. “I’m thinking more like a warehouse or a home that they may have rented. Someplace where Travis wouldn’t have easy access to the phone.” There was a pause, then he added, “If that was Travis on the line.”

She wished she could reassure him, but the caller had barely said ten words and none of them loud enough to assume gender.

When they reached the end of that road without seeing anything, she turned to head west. “This area is more remote,” she said by way of explanation. “East takes us closer to the civilization.”

It took longer than she anticipated to drive up and down each street, searching for a likely hiding spot. Because of the late hour, most houses were dark, but as they came across addresses, Gabe made a note of them and tried to find them on home rental apps. The process was painstakingly slow. She was about to call an end to their efforts when she saw a restaurant and bar called the Homerun that had a for sale sign out front.

The parking lot was empty, and as it was going on the 2:00 a.m. bar time, she felt certain the building was empty. At least, supposed to be empty.

“What do you think?” she asked, as she drove past without stopping.

Gabe nodded slowly. “It’s within range and an empty building that someone could be using on the sly.”

“Risky, though, since it’s possible the owner could stop by. Or the real estate agent could arrive with a potential buyer.” She frowned, trying to imagine Travis being held inside. “Maybe we should make a note of the place and head back.”

“Wait! Pull over!” His voice rose with excitement. “I think this could be it. Looks like it’s been on the market for over forty-five days. Let’s sneak up and look inside.”

She hesitated, then did as he asked. It couldn’t hurt to check the place out. Especially if it has been on the market for a long time. Clearly no one is champing at the bit to buy it. She turned in her seat as she killed the engine. “We put the vests on, and I’ll take the lead. You stay behind me, okay?”

He frowned but nodded. He shut the laptop, tucked it under his seat, and slid out of the vehicle.

Putting the vests on didn’t take long, she helped Gabe with his after donning hers. Cassidy drew her weapon and took the lead in crossing the field toward the supposedly vacant building. As they silently approached, she told herself if she saw anything remotely suspicious, she’d get Gabe out of there and call Rhy and the others for backup.

There was no visible light coming through any of the windows. She led Gabe all the way around the building first, examining the ground. She found several sets of footprints; they crossed over each other so she couldn’t isolate one to estimate size. Could be from the real estate agent, anyone. Or kids checking the place out.

The back door was locked and likely led to the kitchen. There were no windows back here, so she crept around to the side of the building.

She sidled up to the closest window and peered in using her small flashlight to illuminate the area. The main seating area consisted of several tables and chairs that looked a tad beat up. At first, she didn’t notice anything unusual.

Then she saw it. A small disposable phone sat in the center of one table. A replica of the one she’d purchased for her and Gabe.

And it had obviously been left behind on purpose in a heart-wrenching message.

ChapterEleven

“Travis could be in the basement,” Gabe whispered, his heart thudding painfully against his ribs. Seeing the cell phone in the center of the table had rattled him. Badly.

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